Tattoo Chronicles
by xpaperlovex
Summary: Renji wanted tattoos to tell his story. He hadn't expected the tattoos to uncover a story of their own. {RenjixOC}
1. First

**Entry #1 – Of Fishmongers and Masochists  
**_Name: Abarai Renji  
__Occupation: Shin'o Academy first year student_

* * *

The bamboo wind chimes sounded as the shop door slid open. A boy stepped in, his tall frame casting a looming shadow into the muted room. He was followed by a much more diminutive girl, who quickly gave the tattoo parlour an once-over upon entering.

Another female, who had been seated behind the counter scratching at a paper with a brush, perked up.

"Erm," the male began. He was a burly teen clothed in street garbs, his scarlet hair bunched up in a tight ponytail. One of his arms was cocked at the elbow, a finger scratching at his cheek in nervousness. "Is this the tattoo place?"

The girl on the opposite side of the counter smiled politely. "Nope, this is the fishmonger." The boy's female companion kicked him in the shins.

"_Fool! _Where else could this be?"

"_Ow!_ I knew that! I just, I..."

"Would you like to get a tattoo?" the girl behind the counter purred demurely. She recognised the pair, of course. She had seen the two streaking across the streets of Inuzuri, enraged shopkeepers after them and their accomplices, when she was a kid. Over the past few months, she had watched the male one peering into the parlour with suppressed curiosity at times, occasionally venturing in to rove the shop.

"Heck yeah! I mean-" A prod from his female friend had him clearing his throat awkwardly. "Yes...please."

The smile on the girl's face stretched wider. "Have a look around; take your pick." Having said that, she turned and disappeared behind the partition between this room and the next. Left to their own devices, the boy and the girl started wandering around.

The boy knew the place, roughly. He had previously been to the tattoo parlour, months of gazing at the shop front from just across the street, of watching in awe as people stepped out brandishing their newly acquired tattoos, even entered the shop once or twice, pretending to be a customer. He recognised the small counter and the girl behind it. He recognised the array of placards, each bearing a unique design, arranged immaculately on the tables bordering the room. He recognised the smell of ink and must.

The girl was visiting the parlour for her first time. Needless to say, she didn't come for the tattoos. She tried to feign interest as she browsed through the various displays, but genuine excitement eventually shone through when she came across one of them.

"This one, Renji!"

The redhead glanced up from his corner of the room at the design that his friend was holding up eagerly. "Hell no."

The tattoo was that of a cartoonised rabbit – more specifically, the girl's favourite mascot, Chappy. A shiver ran down the boy's spine at the thought of carrying that design, of _anyone_ carrying that design, for that matter. He rolled his eyes at the girl's puppy-dog violet eyes and resumed pouring over the designs at his corner.

At that moment, the counter girl returned, emerging through the curtains holding a tray of equipment and a basin of water in her hands. She set these down on the countertop, her hands setting to work on her hair, clipping the long, ebony tresses up atop her head. "So, seen anything you like yet?"

"Gimme a moment." The boy was reading the words neatly printed on the back of one of the placards. What set this tattoo parlour from others – he had discovered on his first visit here – was that each tattoo design was accompanied by a brief write-up, the story of the people who had previously chosen these tattoos, or even requested their own designs. It was partially what inspired him to take up a tattoo in the first place; he wanted tattoos to tell his story, as well.

The girl shrugged, catching a strand of hair that had strayed out of her grasp and pressing it back down. "Take your time."

He carefully put down the placard he was reading, before picking up another one. The design was interesting – a dragon winding around a ball of flame. He flipped it over and scanned the description tied to it. _A passionate profession of love to his lover._ He frowned. _Nope._

Replacing the placard back on the table, he caught sight of another, its edges poking out from beneath a stack of papers. He gingerly pulled it out. The placard was on its flipside, and the boy read the write-up first. _Name: Horikyo, Occupation:..._A blank. The boy paused. No occupation? That was the first he had come across amongst all the other designs. The rest of them were filled, even if it was just an _'Inuzuri resident'_. Also, Horikyo _what?_ He had no idea if the ambiguous name belonged to a male or female.

Furrowing his crimson brows, he read on. _Drawn over multiple occasions. New strokes were added on every time an accomplishment of great significance was achieved; these tattoos served as a collection of war trophies._ There was no other story, meaning he – or she - was the only one with the tattoo, thus far. The teen male contemplated this. It did seem pretty interesting and apt, considering his own purpose for tattooing as well.

He turned the piece of paper over and his breath caught.

Unlike most of the other designs, the placard bore the outline of a body, indicating that it was a full-body tattoo. Black decorated the body, in two symmetrical rows of bold, jagged lines, from forehead to hip. It was slightly perturbing but was also raw and primal and _he wanted it_. He knew that with growing certainty as he continued staring down at it, before raising it up and waving it at the counter girl.

"I'll take this." The girl looked up from where she was slipping a black leather glove onto her left hand. The redhead could have imagined it but he thought he saw a look of alarm flicker across the girl's pale face before she quickly smoothed it over with her practiced smile.

"That's rare," she commented, the smile not reaching her eyes. "Few people choose that because of the great amount of pain tattooing that will bring. Are you sure you want that, _okyaku-san_?"

_Only one person, to be precise,_ the male thought. Aloud, he said, "Yep. I can get it done over many times. Like Horikyo-san." The girl's expression darkened at his response.

And then, she suddenly grinned. "_Okyaku-san-_"

"Are you a masochist?"

The other girl, who had observed their exchange silently all this while, snorted. "No, he's just an idiot." When the redhead opened his mouth to shoot an angry retort, she quickly added on, "Whatever. Your face was unsalvageable anyway, Renji." In spite of the fuming boy, the girl behind the counter chuckled.

"Understood. Sit here, if you please." Expertly, she hooked one of her legs on a second tall chair behind the counter and dragged it out. She hopped off her own chair as the redhead male approached and sat. The boy passed her the placard containing the design and she fingered it lightly, seemingly in thought.

Then, she raised her head and inquired. "Where would you like to start first?" Up close, her eyes were a startling and piercing turquoise blue, the boy noticed.

He had prepared for this. "Here," he prodded at the lines right above where the eyes should have been. _The most prominent place._

The ebony-haired girl quirked an eyebrow. "The forehead, being the closest to the brain, will be the most painful part. Are you sure?"

The boy nodded. "Sure."

The girl shook her head, smiling faintly. The boy caught a whiff of something earthy. "You really are a masochist." Nevertheless, she dragged the tray and basin of water towards him. The boy could now see what was on the tray – needles, cotton swabs and an inkwell.

"Your eyebrows need to be shaved first; lemme go take the razor," the girl continued, ready to disappear through the partitions again. "Hold on for a mo'." Something suddenly occurred to the boy and he hastily halted the girl.

"Wait, uh, _you_'re the one doing the tattooing?" he tried not to sound nervous.

The female looked back and smirked slightly. "Do you see anyone else around here?" She chuckled at the boy's flabbergasted look as she disappeared behind the curtains.

_What the-?!_ The street urchin male had always thought the tattoo artist was another person – an older, wiser and more experienced person – who only appeared to engrave tattoos on others. Heck, the girl couldn't have been older than him!

His female companion slid up next to him, laughing. "Having second thoughts, tough boy?" Her violet eyes were twinkling with the anticipation of spectating.

"N-No way! I just needed to check, is all." The female artist re-entered the room, approaching him with a razor and a tube of shaving cream in hand. The boy restrained the urge to recoil from the menacing glint of the razor.

"Uh, just wondering, how long have you been doing this?"

The ebony-haired tattoo artist replied immediately, "A whole lifetime!" The boy didn't think it was a joking matter. Sensing this, the girl shot him a reassuring grin. "Don't worry. I know what I am doing. Now stay still." The male was taken by surprise when her fingers suddenly came in contact with his chin, holding his head in place. First squeezing some cream onto her fingers, she smeared a portion over her customer's eyebrows. Without hesitation, she took the razor and shaved off both his eyebrows. She was being careful, the boy could tell, and yet she worked deftly.

"Once you tattoo these, your skin here will never be able to grow hair again," she explained, inspecting her handiwork. "Now wash up and I'll go change the water."

She pushed the water basin towards him, who dipped his forehead into it, washing off the remnants of the cream. When he was done, the girl took the basin and left the room. After making sure she was gone, the girl left in the room guffawed at her friend's appearance.

"No..._eyebrows_!" she gasped out in between bursts of laughter, pointing at him while clutching her stomach.

"Shut up," the subject growled. He was saved from continued mockery when the girl reappeared with the basin of new water in hand. His friend quickly clamped her hands over her mouth, trying to stifle the giggles.

The tattoo artist looked amused. "I see your friend is really excited for you. Let's begin then, shall we?"

"Ah, yes," he barely had time to make out before her fingers were on his forehead again, with a brush, tapping on his skin as she drew out the lines of the design. Her touch was light and nimble, a result of years of practice and experience. He noticed that the girl bore a tattoo as well, a flower design of some sort printed on her wrist, its edges disappearing into the glove. After the design had been applied, the girl raised a mirror to his face. "Okay?"

The male customer examined himself. "Fine."

The tattoo artist lowered the mirror. From his peripheral vision, he saw her hand further reach for a needle from the tray. It looked bigger than he expected. He closed his eyes, feeling slightly queasy.

"That's right, keep your eyes closed." He felt her breath on his cheek. It smelt somewhat minty. "And don't move." The first sting came, before her instructions had barely sank in. The needle punctured in quick successions, and his forehead was suddenly smarting with an intensity he had never felt before. His fists tensed around the edges of the chair.

"You could get your friend to hold your hand, if you like." Even with his eyes closed, the boy could sense the hint of humour in her voice. Feeling the heat rush to his face, he opened his mouth to refuse. Towards his right, he heard Rukia shout, "Like I'd ever hold _his_ hand!" She sounded distant, as if it was only him and the tattoo girl in this room and she was in another one far away.

"Don't frown. Ah..." He felt something fluid trickle from his forehead, followed by a cloth gently wiping it away. He immediately forced himself to relax his muscles and the tattooing continued for a while longer, in silence.

"So," the girl suddenly said, and the boy focused on her voice to take his mind off the stinging pain. "What's your story?" The boy tried to clear his mind from the cloud of pain he was experiencing to recall why exactly he had come here in the first place.

"I am Abarai Renji, and that idiot with me is Rukia," he began carefully. "We've lived on these streets since as long as we can remember. But a week ago, we took the entrance exam to the Shin'o Academy and both passed. We're both going to become shinigamis."

Her fingers on him paused, before resuming. "Congratulations. So this is your way of commemorating?"

The boy called Renji suppressed the proud grin that threatened to surface on his face. "Sorta. And also...it's the start of a new life, for both of us. And so...I'd like to commemorate each achievement I make with a tattoo, so that I won't forget 'em."

The tattoo artist was silent for a while. "That's interesting," she finally hummed, as she continued with her work. There was a break in which she exchanged the needle in her hands with another.

The tattooing process took a long time. Or at least, to Renji it seemed like an enduringly long time. He was sure he had never sat so still for such an extended period. When the girl finally declared "_Done!_", he exhaled deeply. He opened his eyes a little bit too quickly - just as the female dabbed at the last spot with a cotton gauze – her electric turquoise eyes stunned him for a moment.

She backed away and held up a mirror to him again. The redhead immediately raised a finger to gingerly poke at the tender spot. Bold, jagged lines, printed exactly like the ones on the placard. They were part of him now. He grinned.

"Perfect," he murmured.

"Perfect-_ly_ _stupid_," Rukia remarked, and he glowered at her. But out of the corner of his eyes, he caught the ebony-haired girl smiling, not at him, but at his new tattoos. It was a genuine smile this time, one that finally reached her turquoise eyes. Renji had seen enough homeless kids to know that it was a smile of appreciation.

"Pay her and let's get going, Renji," the slight girl beside him reminded. "Time to show off your new eyebrows to the rest of the world." He hurriedly did as he was told and before he knew it, was being rushed out of the door by Rukia. The bamboo wind chimes sounded again, as the door slid open.

Before he passed the doorway, however, he turned back into the shop again.

"Th-Thank you," he made out, his finger scratching at his cheek again. Damn, he was never good at these stuff. The girl bowed politely in return.

"See you again, Abarai-san."

* * *

**The stories that I write are always so long-winded and wordy, this idea came to me when I was thinking about writing a shorter installation. As you can see, the 'non-wordy' didn't work out too well, hurhur. **

**Anyway, I've sort of developed the plot in my head, and I felt _inspired_, so I might be dedicating more time to this, while The One Who Calls Me Hime will...go into a _mini-_hiatus. Hope you enjoy._  
_**

**Feedback and reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	2. Second

**Entry #2 – Of Walls to Feel Sorry For  
**_Name: Abarai Renji  
__Occupation: Shin'o Academy first year student_

* * *

She recognised the two immediately as they sauntered in. _Abarai Renji and Rukia._ Second-time clients' names have never eluded her. Though students of the Academy, they were back in their street garbs during their return to Inuzuri. Like before, the boy's burly frame filled the doorway, bathing the room with his shadow.

"Time for your second tattoo?" she inquired, sitting up.

"Ah, you remembered." The redhead boy scratched his cheek with a finger bashfully. The tattoo artist smiled faintly, recalling the habitual motion. "Yeah, I guess."

The girl nodded. "Give me a moment." She disappeared into the other room, the curtains fluttering behind her. Renji took the chance to look around the parlour. Everything seemed exactly the same as it was, since the last time he was here.

The female tattoo artist re-emerged from the other room. As before, she set the tray of equipment and water basin on the counter, motioning for her customer to take a seat. As she tied her hair up, she asked, "So, what's the occasion this time?"

"I, uh, passed my first exams," the redhead explained, as he made his way to the chair. "Rather decently, in fact."

"He boasts," the other girl, Rukia, stuck out a tongue at him.

"I do _not_!"

" 'Rukia! I passed! I passed! Told ya I would! And I came second in class for Zanjutsu! Since I'm in the _special_ advanced class, I guess that means I'm second in cohort!' " the girl mimicked, punctuating each sentence with an exaggerated exclamation.

The boy looked offended. "I did _not_ say it like that."

"Oh yeah? Then how _did_ you boast it to me, Mr. Second-In-Zanjutsu-But-Dead-Bottom-In-Kidō?"

The redhead student hissed. "The examiner was biased."

"Pretty sure setting the examiner on fire would make anyone biased, Renji. Against you, that is."

The said boy chuckled, darkly. "So this is how you wanna play. Let's take a look at _your_ results then, Ru-ki-a. What have you done well in?"

"Definitely better than you in Kidō."

"Heard you overshot in Hohō and smashed into a wall."

Now it was the girl's turn to look offended. "What lies!"

The boy sneered. "Not sure if I should feel sorry for you or for the wall."

"Well, I _know_ I definitely feel sorry for the wall _you_ blew up!"

"It had it coming! It was in the way!"

"Now you're just sprouting nonsense-"

"_The two of you..._"

Both boy and girl stopped immediately, suddenly sensing a source of very menacing aura. They turned stiffly, to see the girl, still smiling that polite smile of hers, but pointing a needle at their direction. By the way she was gripping the weapon, Renji had no doubt that she was willing to launch it at them at any moment's notice. Worse still, he doubted she'd miss.

"Quiet please, or I would have to ask you to leave."

The two of them nodded vigorously. "Yesma'am."

"And you." She turned her smile on Renji, who instinctively recoiled in fear. "_Please sit back down._" His butt was glued to the chair in a split second. But during that moment, he had sensed something else. A disturbance in the air; a deep stirring in the atmosphere. He shot a quick glance at the tattoo artist, then at the partitions separating the two rooms.

"Shall we start?"

"A-Ah," the boy quickly consented, and pushed the discovery that gnawed at him out of his mind.

The tattooing process this time was a lot faster, and less painful than the last. Or Renji could have gotten used to it already, albeit slightly. He barely spared a glance at his reflection afterwards, knowing that it would be just as the design dictated.

"Anyway, congratulations," the tattoo artist said, while carefully replacing the equipment back in the metallic tray. "For promoting. Both of you."

"Ah, thank you." Renji paused, struggling to recall something. "Sorry, what was your name again?"

The female cocked her ebony head to one side. "You have never asked for my name before."

_He didn't,_ the redhead realised as he searched his memories. But how could she had known with such certainty? It's been almost a year since his last visit.

"Then, what's your name?" he asked. The girl's turquoise eyes twinkled, as she introduced.

"Hatano Aoi."

* * *

"What was that?" the violet-eyed girl elbowed her friend in the ribs, teasing. They had left the shop a moment ago, and were heading back down the streets.

"What was _what_?" the redhead boy shot back irritably. "She knew our names and we didn't know hers!"

Rukia covered her mouth, her eyes shining with amusement. "You were totally checking her out, Renji."

"I _wasn't_!" It was true. He had merely been curious about the girl, about the way she seemed to recall things with clarity, about her earthy scent, about her electric turquoise eyes. She was too skinny anyway, in the unhealthy way that was not uncommon amongst Inuzuri people, and her skin bore a pale pallor.

Plus, he only had eyes for one person.

The diminutive girl beside him sobered up, her voice turning serious. "Did you sense that just now, Renji?"

The boy tilted his face up towards the sky, as he recalled the stirring feeling he had felt in the tattoo parlour. "Ah."

"The reiatsu wasn't hers, though," Rukia continued, as she mulled over it aloud.

"Didn't seem like."

"What do you think she could be hiding?"

"Who knows," he rested the back of his head in one hand, the other reaching up to poke his new tattoo additions. "Ain't our business, anyway." He furrowed his brows at the sky. The Inuzuri skies were forever a murky blue, tainted with the gray of pollution. It fell way short of the particular shade of turquoise blue he had slowly grown accustomed to.

He pictured Hatano Aoi now, the tattoo artist, _his_ tattoo artist, with the startling blue eyes.

He wondered when was the next time he would see her.

* * *

**Yay, short chapter! Hopefully the rest would maintain this manageable length. I had to keep rewatching the Shinigami Academy episodes to figure out Renji's tattoo timeline, lol.**

**Feedback and reviews are greatly appreciated!  
[To be honest, I really treasure reviews - positive or negative - because they give a gauge as to how I'm doing. I'd love to hear from whoever's on the other end, seriously.]**


	3. Third

**Entry #3 – Of Work Leaves and Customer Dissatisfaction  
**_Name: Abarai Renji  
__Occupation: Shin'o Academy second year student_

* * *

He appeared at the doorway, later in the year than the previous. Later than Hatano Aoi had expected. That was the first thought that registered in the female tattoo artist's mind when he entered. The second thought followed quickly, when he slid the door shut again.

He had come in alone.

"Ah?" she inquired, her tone light. "Where is Rukia-san?"

The Shinigami Academy student kept his head lowered, his expression shadowed. Aoi knew she had broached a sensitive topic. Just as she was about to retract her question, the boy suddenly spoke.

"She graduated," his voice was low, a wealth of emotions bubbling beneath the surface. "The Kuchiki clan adopted her and had her graduated straightaway."

"That brat," he continued, gritting his teeth. Aoi noticed his fists clenching at his sides, fingers turning white with tension. "She even got to enter the Thirteenth Squads immediately! I-I'm..."

The turquoise-eyed girl mused for a moment, then concluded, "You liked her." Brown eyes widened a fraction at her statement. The redhead dropped his gaze, considering it. Then, slowly, he shook his head.

"I _loved_ her." He looked up at her. "She was family, the _only_ family I had left." Desperation was laced in his brown eyes, desperation of being understood, of being comforted. _I understand,_ Aoi whispered in her head. She too, had lost people dear to her. She too, had been left behind by a loved one.

"What are you going to do about it, Abarai-san?"

The boy closed his eyes, frowning. "Suck it up, forget about her, I don't know. What I do know, though," he opened his eyes and his voice dropped a notch lower. "Is that I'm gonna stay out of her way now, out of her new life of happiness."

_How noble,_ the girl mused, mildly surprising herself with a hint of remorse. Aloud, she spoke, "I assume you're here to commemorate your passing of the second promotional examination, Abarai-san."

The boy nodded, then glanced away. "It was after the second phase, when she, when she..."

"...I don't even know what I'm doing at the Academy anymore. What's the point? I-"

_Enough._ The female tattoo artist gazed curiously at the sorrow-stricken shinigami student for a while, before reaching a decision.

"Really sorry, Abarai-san. But I can't tattoo you today."

The boy's gaze snapped back to hers, alarmed. "Why not?"

"I just..can't?" she responded by casually stretching her arms above her, the sleeves of her robes sliding down to reveal slender limbs. "The shop closes early today, I'm afraid."

"Since when?! What about me, then?"

The girl shot him an attempt at an apologetic smile. "Come back again tomorrow?"

The boy snarled. "I can't just come back again tomorrow! I have no place to stay over for the night!"

"Go back to wherever you used to stay!"

"It's no longer there!- Hey, _wait_! _Hatano!_"

He made a grab for the girl as she ducked through the doorway into the other room, but missed. He rushed in after her. Swatting the curtains aside, he managed to take in a small, undecorated room, bathed in the evening sun streaming in through the windows before noticing the sharp point of a needle at his throat.

"_The parlour is closed for the day_," the tattoo artist at the other end menaced, while smiling sweetly at him. "_Didn't you hear what I said?_" Renji gulped. His fingers itched for a sword at his side to retaliate.

"Ye-Yes," he managed to make out, uncomfortably aware of the needle less than an inch away from piercing his skin. "I'll just head back out now. And come back again tomorrow."

"That's kind of you," the girl sang.

"Have a good day, Abarai-san."

* * *

In the morning, the redhead academy student was found crumpled against the walls of the parlour, snoring soundly. A tiny amused smile materialised on the tattoo artist's face. She stepped up to the human lump, humorously noting the drool dribbling out of his wide-open mouth. She carefully bent down, positioning her mouth at his ear.

"GOOD MORNING!"

A noise sounding halfway between a snort and a yelp broke through the boy. He gave a start, abruptly recoiling at the sight of the girl's face inches away from his, grinning. The back of his head smashed into the wall, and his hands flew up to his head as he let a few swear words fly.

"C'mon, Abarai-san!" Aoi called, too cheerful amidst the entire ordeal. "We have the whole day ahead of us!"

"Hrghh..." the redhead student managed to groan out, still cradling the bump on his head. "My tattoo?"

"Not yet!" the girl remarked brightly. "You and I are going out!"

It took a moment for her words to sink in. "Wait, what? What about your shop?"

"I'm taking a day off! And don't worry, I've got someone looking after it for me." Renji wasn't worrying, just confused at the sudden turn of events. He had forgotten how terribly uncomfortable sleeping on the ground was. That, and his head was hurting like a bitch.

"Try to catch up!" Still confused and disoriented, Renji, with a bit of difficulty, pulled himself to his feet. Further away, the tattoo artist was already sauntering down the street in a thin and worn dark blue yūkata. Running a hand over his face in exasperation, he started off after her.

Hatano Aoi gave him a quick glance as he fell into stride beside her. "Good morning."

"Uh, yeah, okay, back at you," Renji mumbled in return. This had _not_ been a good morning. He was grumpy at the fact that he had to spend the night on the streets – something he thought he'd never have to do ever again – and he was not going to return to the academy without his tattoo. He would _hate_ to think he had travelled all the way for naught.

He shot the female beside him a dark look, but the girl was looking on ahead. As he continued to observe her – but not, like, in the creepy way, of course – she suddenly picked up her pace. Renji watched as she ran ahead to a middle-aged fisherman, who was hoisting a bundle of fishing nets on his sunburnt shoulders as he carried a pail with his other hand.

"Oji-san! Let me help you with that!" The ebony-haired girl bunched up the sleeves of her robes, before taking over the heavy pail from him.

"Oh, Aoi-chan!" the man broke into a smile. He was missing a front tooth, Renji noticed. "Long time no see!"

The tattoo artist was carrying the practiced smile that she used with customers. "How have you been, oji-san?"

"Same ol', same ol'," the man laughed, pressing down on his straw hat. Renji caught sight of something inked onto his bicep. They walked to the edge of the waters, where a dingy fishing boat was waiting. By the time they had settled the equipment down and walked back, Renji was waiting for them there.

The fisherman spared a look at him, his gaze flying to the ink on his forehead.

"One of yours?" the fisherman asked the tattoo artist, raising a thick eyebrow.

"Yes," the girl responded. "This is Abarai Renji."

"Renji, huh? That's a pleasant enough name." The man chuckled, his tanned face creasing up like a wrinkled flower. "You're in good hands, Abarai-kun. She was the one who gave me this, after all." He flexed his bicep, well-toned from the years of doing his line of work. Upon closer inspection, Renji realised that the tattoo he saw before was that of two fishing forks, crisscrossed to form a cross.

Renji nodded, pretending to agree with what was said about him being in good hands, as the man said he had to leave for the day's fishing trip, and how he hoped his catch would be better than the last, before bidding them both goodbye. He watched as the fisherman walked back to the riverbank, before setting off in his small boat into the waters.

"Kasagawa Shinichi," Aoi said quietly, almost startling him. "His beloved younger brother drowned in this river during a fishing trip. He has been searching for his brother in the river when he goes fishing ever since."

Renji stared at the girl, who was still gazing solemnly at the river. "Er, why are you telling me this...?" Aoi turned and started walking off in another direction.

"Next one, Abarai-san."

The 'next one' was a fruit vendor, who was in the midst of setting up his stall for the day. Renji remembered him as the one with the crippled leg – someone that he and his friends back in the days would always take advantage of due to his limited running capabilities. The redhead hung back a bit as the girl approached the stall, wondering if the vendor would recognise him as one of those pesky brats that had probably run away with three month's worth of fruits accumulative. But as the man's gaze shifted past Aoi to him, there was no sign of recognition.

"Madoshira Ryō," Aoi had whispered, in the same way. "Tried to escape to the Seventy-Seventh District, once. But was caught by the police force over there with no legal documents on him. Beaten half to death and thrown back here. His leg hasn't been the same ever since." Renji recalled, with clarity, then, the mark on the damaged leg that he had occasionally caught sight of, when he was running away from the fruit vendor's stall. They were the characters: _Freedom._ He tried to grapple with the immensity of the knowledge suddenly bestowed onto him.

They continued after that, and the tattoo artist brought him to even more places around the town, to even more people. At each person, she would stop and introduce him or her and the story behind them. Each one, without fail, bore a tattoo on his or her body.

"_Shūgo Kotare. Mother passed away when he was young. Father took to physically abusing him until one day, he decided to retaliate and struck back. The father ended up dead..."_

"_Nimasa Hana. Forced into a marriage before she even hit puberty. But her husband was an abusive man so she ran away from his house one night..."_

"_Kobayoshi Izuki. Born an orphan, but was taken under the wing of another, older, orphan who became his 'big brother'. Witnessed the death of his big brother one day when..."_

Renji had stopped trying to ask her how she managed to recall all these after a while.

They stopped by at a small, run-down house. "This is our last stop," the female announced. Renji waited for her to substantiate, to introduce the story, but she didn't say more, gazing into the house with brooding.

After a period of silence, Renji remarked, "I don't see anyone with a tattoo around here." It was true. Save for two children in the yard, there was no one around, at least from what Renji could see.

"That's because he's not here," Aoi breathed out, her eyes soft with sorrow. "Toshigawa Reizaki. Successfully enrolled into the Shin'o Academy. Left his family to become a shinigami and hasn't been back to visit ever since."

Renji felt heavy in his chest. He felt as if there was some unspoken connection between him and Toshigawa Reizaki, but he didn't know what. He didn't know what to say, to think, either. The ebony-haired girl beside him was still for a moment, before turning her back and leaving. Numbly, he followed.

They walked down two streets back towards the parlour, before he spoke again.

"Hatano..."

The ebony-haired girl looked back, and saw the redhead had stopped, his head bowed in deep contemplation. "I have a theory." He raised his head and caught sight of her turquoise eyes watching him closely, before hastily continuing, unsure of why heat was flooding into his cheeks. "The reason you brought me out today, to see all these people with their tattoos...was to remind me, wasn't it? Of my own story, of my own purpose of getting the tattoos. Though I'm still not sure why...But I think...I mean, there isn't any other explanation..."

"Abarai-san," the girl cut him off, her tone serious. "You actually think a lot more than you look."

The insult took a moment to sink in. "What, what does that mean!" Seeing the girl's face relax into a humorous grin, he lowered his voice again. "So, is it true?"

"Who knows?" the girl stretched, turning again so that her back was facing him and he could see the long ebony tresses stretching to her slender waist. "I myself didn't really know why I brought you out either, I just felt like it so I did. It was a whim."

"Wait wait _wait_." Renji couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You mean you dragged me around town the entire day, on a _whim_?"

"But it achieved something in the end, didn't it?" Amusement broke out over the female's face as she spun around, then her expression turned serious. "What I did know, though, was that I couldn't tattoo you yesterday, Abarai-san. Because you were too consumed by grief over the loss of your friend, you lost sight of why you were even getting the tattoo in the first place. There is no point in getting a tattoo, marring your skin permanently, for a purpose that you no longer believed in."

While she spoke, her electric eyes had stared right into his, serious and penetrating. Now, as her words ended, Renji lowered his gaze uncomfortably.

When he raised his head, he stated flatly, "You're weird." _But your words make sense._

The female laughed, turning back again as she resumed walking. "You're the masochist here."

They continued their leisure pace down the street, before they reached a cross-junction, then turned. Renji's breath caught.

The road opened out to the river that ran through Inuzuri. Granted, on most days, the river was murky and polluted with a town's worth of waste and grime. But at some times of the day, evenings especially, the way the twilight struck the water surface made it shimmer with a subtle shade of gold.

Already, Renji could feel waves of childhood memories threatening to flood into his mind. He faltered, his mind struggling to come up with something, anything, that could distract him.

"Why, why did Horiyko-san choose to have these tattoos?"

His voice came out slightly panicky but Aoi appeared not to have noticed, not looking back as she prepared her response. "Because..."Her voice sounded small, distant, even though they were just a few feet apart.

"Because, every time she had one of her..._achievements,_ a small part of her dies. So she got herself tattooed, to let the ink fill up the holes left behind."

Her answer left Renji with a lot more questions to be answered, but for a start, he needed to confirm one thing. "_She_," he repeated.

"Yes." Now the tattoo artist peered back over her shoulders, and he caught wariness in her eyes. "She."

"But I don't get it," the redhead pressed on. "Why would a small part of her die every time she accomplishes something? Shouldn't she be proud?" The ebony-haired female didn't answer, looking forward again.

"Now let me share _my_ theory, Abarai-san," she finally said, after a long while. "I don't think the only reason you want those tattoos is for them to serve as mementos of personal accomplishments. You are using them as a statement, too. A statement to the nobles in the academy that you are not one of them, that, unlike them, you fought tooth and nail your way into the school from Inuzuri, that they have nothing on you. Am I right?"

Renji was stunned at the girl's depth of perception. "Is it wrong?" he asked in a low voice.

He stopped abruptly as the girl in front of him halted as well, before she spun around, fixing him with a queer look. "No, not at all!"

"To be honest," she continued softly, the shadow of a smile on her lips as she gazed into the setting sun. Her blue eyes reflected bits of silver. "I think it's a _great_ reason."

Renji couldn't help himself. The scene of another girl flashed briefly across his mind – a diminutive, violet-eyed girl knee-deep in the water, holding the river flowers to her nose as she smiled serenely.

"Anyway," the ebony-haired girl was now saying. "You really are a lot more thoughtful than you look, Abarai-san." The shinigami student bit back a growl about how, _again_, he did not appreciate the implication of her words, but something else slipped out of his mouth instead.

"It's Renji."

The girl stopped and turned around to look at the boy again, who had glanced purposely away, suddenly awkward. "Ju-Just call me Renji."

Her turquoise eyes shot him a strange look. "Okay. But that doesn't mean you can call me by my first name too, you know."

"Huh?" the boy exclaimed. "Why do I still have to address you formally?"

"Because you're my customer, and I'm the shopkeeper. So there."

"_Shouldn't it be the other way round?! _Hey! Don't just walk off! Hey, Hatano!"

"C'mon! Don't you want your tattoo?"

"Wait, you're gonna give me my tattoos? Like, now?" The redhead nearly stumbled in his haste to catch up with the girl, who had taken off and was now running ahead, laughing. "_Wait!_"

"Hurry, before the shop closes!"

* * *

Hatano Aoi remained at the counter, long after the redhead customer had left. Eventually, a silhouette emerged from the next room and joined her.

"So, what do you think?" the ebony-haired girl asked, propping her chin onto the table with her hands. The figure beside her sighed.

"You know I hate shinigamis."

The girl hummed, acknowledging his comment. "He seems okay, though. They both did."

"And then she went on and abandoned him. Sounds familiar to you?"

The tattoo artist stopped, purposely diverting the topic. "You've been holing up for long enough. How did looking after the shop go?"

"Same-same." The figure released another sigh. "Just...don't fraternise with that guy excessively, nē-chan. I would hate to see you get hurt again." The girl smiled, warmed with the other party's concern.

"I won't."

* * *

**Not supposed to be doing this but...Anyway hope this chapter gave the two characters more interaction time. Lots of plot (and background) left to unfold!**

**Feedback and reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	4. Fourth

**Entry #4 – Of Mishaps in the Backyard  
**_Name: Abarai Renji  
__Occupation: Shin'o Academy fifth year student_

* * *

"Why don't you just focus on not blowing up my house, first?" Hatano Aoi smiled wryly at the shinigami student.

Renji blinked. He wasn't entirely sure how he had ended up in this situation, in the yard behind the tattoo parlour. After receiving his tattoo (his sixth one), he had remained behind to chat with the tattoo artist a bit, as per their routine now. Their conversation had turned to the examinations in his upcoming year – his last, final milestone before he could officially graduate from the academy. It was something that he had been, still was, anxious about, especially since he actually had to _pass_ all four of the combat forms this time.

That didn't bode too well for him, seeing as he had consistently been failing his kidō for the past five years.

He had shared with Aoi about it on previous occasions, how he had a natural affinity for blowing things up, how the teacher had been so exasperated with him that he was banished to practice alone outside the courtyard where the rest of them were.

"Why," she had inquired, a curious glow to her eyes. "Why not ask Hinamori-san and Kira-san to help you?"

The shinigami student faltered. "I, I don't think they'd be of much he-"

"Why not?" she repeated, tilting her head slightly. "You said they are both skilled at kidō, right? Wouldn't they be able to teach you?"

Renji sighed inwardly. Damn it, why did she have to remember _everything_?"Uh..."

She let out a small laugh then. "I would think passing your exams is more important than some chauvinistic ego."

The redhead spluttered. "That's not-!" He stopped himself, knowing she _was,_ to some extent, right. His voice dropped. "I just wanted to show them...That I can be better than them, than all of those...know-it-all nobles, on my own..." A pause ensued, before the tattoo artist replied.

"I understand, you know." He looked up, surprised. "We from Inuzuri grew up forced to be independent since young, living to see the next day on our own merits and wary of help from others. It's only natural to have a tendency to do everything ourselves. But I'm saying, codependence is important for survival too, don't you think? And after all, they _are_ your friends, right?"

Renji didn't know what to reply, his head remaining bowed and face hot. He heard Aoi sighing, amused.

"Follow me, Renji."

She started moving towards the door that led to the back of the building and, after a moment of confusion, Renji followed. He passed through the partitions, the cloth swaying behind him and entered the back room. He quickly surveyed the room, suppressing a wince at the memory of him barging in the other time and having _a _senbon pressed to his throat.

The room was immaculate, with a sink and tattooing equipment lay out neatly in transparent cabinets. What piqued Renji's interest was a corridor leading from the side of the room down a shadowy row of doors. He squinted his eyes at it, trying to see if he could catch anything else.

"It's rude to peek, you know." Aoi called behind her, snapping him to attention. She had already left the room through the sliding paper door on the other side, and her electric blue eyes peered back at him. Renji felt his cheeks regain heat, as if caught in the act of doing something indecent, and hastily followed her out of the building.

Her backyard was nothing impressionable, just an ordinary piece of land, grass sparsely decorating the ground. The only thing that stood out from the banal environment was a blotch of murky green in one corner – a patch of what were some pathetic-looking plants, wilted, dried and half-dead. Renji cocked his eyebrow at that, but, remembering Aoi's words, shifted his gaze away back to the tattoo artist.

"Um, why are we here?" He asked, rubbing the back of his neck unsurely. The turquoise-eyed female, who had been watching his confusion all this while, smiled.

"I'm helping you with your kidō!" she announced. "So be grateful." A small smirk.

Renji stared. What did she mean, she was going to_ help_ _him_?

"Uh..."

"Come on, show me something. We can work from there." Her voice was certain; she seemed as confident as she was about tattooing someone. Renji, on the other hand, was full of misgivings.

"Any spell?"

"Any spell." She confirmed.

Hesitating, the shinigami student adopted his stance, feet shoulders-width apart, arms stretched out before him. He began the incantation.

"_Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man!...In-infer..."_

He trailed off weakly, scrambling for the rest of the words for the thirty-first hadō spell.

"_-Inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, marches on to the south."_

His gaze snapped to the tattoo artist, as she regurgitated the rest of the incantation with precision. His mouth fell agape. "H-How?" Hatano Aoi put a finger to her mouth, shushing him.

"Try it."

"A-Ah." Still stunned from the abrupt turn of events, he turned back and tried to focus his attention to his fingers. With the words that the tattoo artist supplied him, he completed the incantation, ending with the mandatory _"Hadō #31, Shakkahō!"_

He felt the familiar sensation of warmth at his fingertips, growing, burning. A scarlet light immediately started to emit from the tips.

"Hey, hey," he exclaimed, surprised that he got it at first try. "Look at- _whoa!_"

Within a space of milliseconds, the red ball of light expanded exponentially. Reacting fast, Renji directed it upwards and released it into the sky. Not a moment too soon for the spell quickly exploded above the two of them, showering them with fragments of scarlet.

He looked to the tattoo artist sheepishly. The tattoo artist's eyes were wide, staring at the spot where his spell had detonated.

"How...What should I do now?" Hatano Aoi looked back down at him, a wry smile materialising on her face.

"Why don't you just focus on not blowing up my house, first?"

* * *

They practiced. Or rather, he practiced, with the tattoo artist correcting his phrases and saying them out for him to remember. He still had no idea how she seemed to know all the spells completely by heart – she had just answered vaguely about hearing them before when he asked, but _from where?_

He worked on getting the incantation down accurately first, then when he did so, passably, he moved onto getting them to _not _blow up, which was proving to be a much more tedious task.

Chest heaving with exertion, Renji inhaled deeply. The walls around him were covered with black burn spots from the screwed up spells he had previously redirected. He was surprised they hadn't collapsed yet. He readied his stance again for another go.

"_Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, marches on to the south!" _He looked up just as he completed the recitation of the spell word for word.

Only to see a pair of turquoise eyes staring back at him from inside the house.

Startled, Renji blinked but at the next moment, the pair of eyes was gone, as if it was never there in the first place.

"What was that?" he blurted out, alerting the attention of the girl.

"What?" Aoi looked to the redhead, then followed his gaze to the doorway, where no trace of blue eyes, much less a person, could be seen.

"There was...I thought I saw..." his words came out clumsily, as he struggled to make sense of what just transpired. He felt Aoi's curious gaze on him. "I...never mind."

The female blinked. "...Okay."

And then, "_Pay attention!_"

Renji glanced down quickly, and discovered with alarm that the hadō in his hands was ballooning out of control. _Not again_, a voice in his head snarled. Panicking, he pointed the emerging beam somewhere away from Aoi, anywhere. But just as the fiery missile shot from his fingers, the tattoo artist suddenly appeared right smack in his range again.

"_Watch out!_"

With a burst of speed, he shunpo-ed his way to her side, shoving her to the ground. The kidō shot flew past overhead, missing them just by a few inches. It impacted the wall behind them solidly.

The shinigami student propped his torso up, rage burning his insides.

"_What the heck were you thinking? Get out of the way!_"He yelled down at the girl pinned beneath him. He could feel the heat from the hadō that just flew past over their heads, from his own fury, from her proximity to him.

Aoi's turquoise eyes were wide with shock, but then swiftly narrowed as she fixed him with a cold stare.

"Don't vent your frustrations on the person who's been helping you, Renji."

Renji felt the anger in him extinguish immediately, quickly washed by guilt. He hastily scrambled off her, but remained seated on the ground. The ebony-haired female sat up as well, gingerly brushing grass off herself.

"I'm sorry," he apologised lowly. "You're right, I...I was angry at myself. For losing control over the spell again. For almost causing you harm. I'm sorry." He leaned forward and rested his arms on his knees, suddenly really, really exhausted.

There was a brief moment of silence, before the tattoo artist released a sigh. "It's okay. It was my fault for jumping in the way too. Thank you for doing what you did." Renji watched as the small smile that she had pasted on slowly fade from her face, as her gaze shifted to the spot in the wall his Kidō had hit.

He followed her gaze, realising that the spell had completely obliterated the weed patch that had been lying below the wall at that exact spot. The once-vegetation was now charred black, with most of the leaves singed off.

It had been just a weed patch though – Renji didn't understand why Aoi would be gazing at the remains with remorse in her eyes but he still asked her, "Was that important to you, Hatano?"

"Ah?" the tattoo artist whipped her head back, broken out of her reverie. She seemed disoriented for a moment, as she struggled to come up with a response. "Not really, no. It wasn't doing well, anyway."

_If it wasn't important, why did you jump in front of it to protect it?_ Renji could hardly believe her but he didn't know what else he could say. "I'm sorry." He repeated instead.

"It's okay, really!" the turquoise-eyed girl insisted, surprising him by laughing. "Stop apologising, jeez, it doesn't sound like you at all."

Renji frowned. He wasn't sure if she was insinuating an insult.

"Anyway," Aoi continued, stunning him even more when she reached out a hand to give his shoulder a squeeze, releasing almost as quickly as she stood back up. "This is about as much as I can help with. Don't worry too much about your kidō, though. You might not realise it but you _are _improving, albeit slowly." She smirked down at him. "You definitely don't have to worry about the strength of your spells, at least."

The redhead felt his frustration and disappointment starting to ebb away. "Yeah," he returned a grin. "I _never_ had to worry about that." He accepted the hand that she held out to him and she hoisted him to his feet.

"More like the people around you who need to," Aoi teased. Renji turned to her, suddenly serious.

"Thank you."

Aoi fell silent, the laughter retreating from her face.

"Thanks for allowing me to practice in your yard, and watching me. Thank you...Hatano." Briefly, he wondered when he could start calling her by her personal name.

The tattoo artist was somber for a moment, then slowly smirked again. "Like I said, this doesn't sound like you at all, Renji."

"Hey! I know when to show gratitude, okay!" was his hot reply.

"Hmm." The girl has turned and started to return into the house. "Sure, if you say so."

"It's true!" Renji argued indignantly, hurrying after her.

Back in the tattoo parlour, Hatano Aoi finally turned back to face him, arms crossed in front of her chest. "Save your thank-yous for after your pass your exam, Renji."

_She seems so sure I will pass._ The shinigami student noted, numbly.

"-_If _you pass, that is."

The vein at his temple was quick to pulse with anger as he retorted hotly. "I will!" The tattoo artist laughed.

"That's right, you will." She finally said, with all seriousness. "Remember to seek help from your friends, though."

"Yeah, yeah. Stop nagging." he replied irritably, annoyed at being played with like a child. Turquoise eyes twinkled with humour and sincerity as the girl spoke again.

"_Ja, ganbatte_."

* * *

**Hi, anyone there? *waves*  
Anyway, I'm back and excited for this story to develop.**

**Feedback and reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	5. Fifth

**Entry #5 – Of Turquoise Eyes and Untold Stories  
**_Name: Abarai Renji  
__Occupation: Shin'o Academy graduate_

* * *

The bamboo wind chimes barely had time to ring as the redhead shinigami barged into the tattoo parlour that year.

"_Hatano!"_

The loud intrusion attracted the attention of both the tattoo artist and her current customer at the counter. They stared wordlessly at the burly man filling the doorframe. The ends of the female's lips curled up slightly. Conversely, the redhead felt the grin fall from his face as he stared back equally awkwardly at the girl and the stranger next to her.

"Um," the latter broke the silence by inquiring, rather cautiously. "Another customer of yours, Hatano-san?" The tattoo artist laughed, slightly uneasy.

"Yes." To Renji, she said. "Give me a moment. Why don't you hang around a bit?"

"A-Ah. Okay," was his stumbling reply. Feeling thoroughly humiliated, he directed a bow towards the pair, mumbling a "Sorry for disturbing."

"It's fine," the bespectacled man said kindly. The female only gave him a curt nod of acknowledgement, before returning to her work. Renji took that as a cue to wait around the shop so he let himself drift to the farthest corner.

It felt deja vu. Four years ago, he had barged into a room carrying news, only to be halted abruptly by the sight of strangers engaging with Rukia. _Kuchiki_ Rukia, he reminded himself, with a tinge of discomfort. For some reason the sight of Hatano Aoi at the counter with her other customer bothered him. Picking up some placards to browse through the tattoo designs on them, he attempted to quell the feelings of insecurity that was nagging at him.

He looked through a few, trying to be interested while reading the stories behind them, but after a while, he found his gaze shifting to the counter.

It struck him that he had never seen the ebony-haired female tattooing before. Sure, he had been at the receiving end of her tattoos a couple of times already - six times, to be exact - but seeing her bending over someone else was a foreign sight. He watched her for a while, noting how deft and practiced her hands were with the needle and how immaculate and precise her execution was. He could hardly believe that when he got his first tattoo, he had thought the tattoo artist to be another person. Now, he couldn't imagine anyone else other than her as the tattoo artist.

Realising that he had been staring for a tad too long, he hastily lowered his gaze back onto the tattoo placards in his hands. He set them down, before moving off to another corner of the shop. He'd find the placard with his tattoo design, he decided. Perhaps his profile was already inscribed there.

A few minutes of flipping through every card produced nothing, leading the shinigami to conclude that that particular tattoo design was simply not there. _Where would it be, then? _He frowned as his gaze lifted from the tables...

And fell onto a pair of turquoise eyes.

His jaw dropped as he registered the pair of foreign eyes for the second time. He quickly looked over to the counter, where Aoi was still tattooing her customer, head bowed. The eyes couldn't have been hers. Renji's frown deepened. _Whose were they?_ His gaze returned to the room partitions, now fluttering in a small breeze, where he had spotted the eyes of that memorable colour.

When he had first seen them during the last visit, he had been distracted by an emergency (more precisely, his kidō spell blowing up) and quickly forgot about it, dismissing it as a delusion. But now, there was no doubt that he was seeing the eyes of another.

Before he could puzzle over it any longer, a strand of the conversation from across the parlour caught his attention, chasing the mysterious pair of blue eyes from his mind, once again.

"Hatano-san," the customer was asking. "I've told you my story. So, what is yours?"

His curiosity piqued, Renji watched the tattoo artist closely for her response. The ebony-haired female didn't replying, her hands maintaining their speed as she continued with her handiwork. Before long, she finally spoke. "Your tattoo is finished, Koganei-san."

The man let out a low whistle as he inspected the inked design on his bicep. "It's amazing."

_Just leave already_, a voice in Renji's head growled.

"Thank you," the tattoo artist bowed her head slightly. The male customer proceeded to pay her, taking the chance to quip in a line, "You should show me how you tattoo one day, Hatano-san."

The smile on Aoi's face didn't change. "I'll consider it, Koganei-san." Renji quickly dropped his gaze as she ushered the male out of the door, pretending he hadn't just overheard their entire exchange. He kept his eyes glued to the table as the wind bamboo chimes sounded again, signaling the departure of the stranger.

"Hello, Renji."

The redhead shinigami was surprised to feel triumph flare in his chest at the tattoo artist addressing him on a much less formal term than her previous customer.

"Yo."

And then, before anything else. "I graduated."

He realised after the words left him that he had been feeling anxious to say them to her all this while, ever since the start of his journey back to Inuzuri. And now that they were out he remained equally anxious for her response.

Aoi beamed at him. "Well done."

It was enough to make Renji feel contented, the anxiety vaporising in an instant.

"Hah, well," he said as he scratched his cheek with a finger, trying to keep a tone of modesty. "You were right. Kira and Hinamori _did_ help me. A lot."

"But it was your own skills in the end that earned you your results," she justified amiably. "So, time for the next tattoo?" She had kept her glove on and her hair tied up, the redhead noted.

"Yes, please," he replied, taking the initiative to move to the chair. The tattoo artist went into action as well, disappearing into the next room to replace her tray of equipment. At the sight of the fluttering curtains, Renji's mind flew back to the pair of eyes he spotted but before he had mustered the courage to ask her about it, she reappeared, swiftly settling down the items on the counter.

"What now?" she asked, as she lay out the equipment on the counter top. "Have you been assigned a squad?"

The shinigami cleared his throat. "As a matter of fact, yes. I'm in the Fifth Squad. Kira and Hinamori, too."

"That's great," the artist replied, her voice genuine. "Your sleeve, please." Renji obliged, bunching up the sleeve of the arm she was motioning to. After the forehead and neck, it was time for the arms to be tattooed. He felt a chill run through him as her fingers danced in a professional manner across his bicep.

"How are your captains? Have you met them yet?"

"Captain Aizen Sōsuke and Lieutenant Ichimaru Gin." He frowned slightly. "We haven't been fully inducted into the squads yet so I can't say. But, they were the ones who rescued us from the hollow attack that time during our outfield practice. Do you remember?" He regretted the question as soon as it left his mouth. The girl's astute memory and uncanny ability to remember all things was no longer foreign to him.

"I remember. Didn't Hinamori-san respect them a lot or something?" Case in point.

"She still does. You should've seen her when her assignment was announced – she was _elated_."

Aoi chuckled. "I would think so."

She continued her probing, about the examinations, about how he felt entering the Gotei Thirteen, about his progress with his asauchi. Renji barely realised when she completed his inked designs. He inspected them with mute admiration as she returned her equipment to the tray, before verbalising the question that had been at the back of his mind all the while.

"So, what _is_ your story?"

Hatano Aoi smiled faintly. If she realised that he had been eavesdropping just now, she didn't mention it. Renji only hoped that she wouldn't blow him off like she did with the male customer.

"There's no story."

Renji shot her an irritated look. "Bullshit." The tattoo artist laughed as she held up her hand in mock surrender.

"Well...What do you want to know?"

_How did you come to start tattooing? Who taught you? How do you seem to remember everything?_

But the first question that slipped out was, "Who's that with the blue eyes?"

"Blue...eyes?" His random question surprised the female, whose own electric blue eyes widened with puzzlement.

"Yeah. I saw them just now, as I was browsing through the designs. And during the last visit too, at your backyard."

Aoi cocked her head to a side, thinking. Suddenly, she let out a giggle, finally understanding. "You must have seen Yuki."

"_Yuki?_" Renji pounced on the foreign name immediately. "Your...sister?"

"Her brother."

Renji tensed at the new voice that had sprung up behind him, turning around cautiously to look at the third person. It belonged to a teenage boy – one with tousled black hair and hands stuffed casually in his pockets. His face was set in a scowl. But what immediately caught the shinigami's attention were his bright, blue eyes.

Aoi's eyes.

No, they weren't exactly the same. Whilst his sister's eyes were more turquoise, with a green tinge, this boy's eyes were a more solid, cobalt blue.

And, for some reason, they were pinning him with a very frosty glare.

"Yuki!" Aoi called out, cheerfully. "Come introduce yourself."

His guard still up, Renji took the cue to greet. "Um, hello...Yuki?"

The boy glowered with annoyance. "It's _Fu_yuki. Hatano Fuyuki. 'Hatano' to you."

The redhead sighed inwardly, recalling how Aoi had only allowed him to address her by the family name. He could see how the two could be related.

"Oh, my bad. I'm Abarai Renji. Pleased to meet ya." He hesitantly held out a hand. Hatano Fuyuki took a glance at it and his gaze turned cynical.

"Shaking hands? What are you? A noble?"

Embarrassed, the shinigami hurriedly lowered his outstretched hand.

"Yuki," Aoi, who had been watching their exchange all this while, laughed. "Don't be rude to our customer."

"Didn't seem like a customer, from the way you guys were talking."

Aoi remained smiling, staring calmly back at the angry glare her brother was shooting at her. She was still taller than him, but only just. "Let me be my own judge of that, Yuki."

Renji observed the silent stare-off between them with increasing confusion, until the younger of the two finally gave in. "Yah," he sighed exasperatedly, stretching his limbs above his head. Renji caught sight of a tattoo on the boy's wrist as well, one that bore resemblance to his sister's. "I'm going out for awhile."

"_Itterashai_," the female automatically replied.

Only after the parlour door slid close behind the boy, did the tension in the room dissipate and Renji dare to exhale.

"That was..." he made out weakly. "Terrifying."

"Sorry," the tattoo artist laughed easily, turning back to him. "Yuki doesn't get along well with strangers." _I'd be surprised if he gets along with _anyone_, _Renji mused inwardly.

"He has _a thing_ against shinigamis-"

_Why? _The question immediately popped up in Renji's head. The seventy-eighth district barely had its share of shinigami, how would he have interacted with them enough to develop a grudge against them?

"-but don't worry, he's good." That was seriously questionable.

"Anyway!" his gaze returned to the turquoise-eyed girl. "You've already met my brother. That enough for you?"

"Wait wait wait," the redhead injected hastily. "So you two live here together? What about your parents?"

"Dead," she replied, breezily.

"Wha-" Renji stopped short. Perhaps it was because he never had parents to begin with, but he could never practice enough tact for such situations. "Um."

"How did they die?" Aoi asked, seemingly unfazed. "Hollows."

Renji frowned. _Hollows? Here in Inuzuri?_ Something about that seemed odd but the tattoo artist had started busying herself with clearing the equipment, and it didn't feel like he should probe any further.

"You don't have to be so solemn, you know." He heard her say as she returned from the adjacent room. "Children grow up without parents here all the time. You, of all people, should know that." Renji didn't know how to respond.

The tattoo artist propped her elbows on the table, rested her chin on her hands and stared at him. "Anymore questions?"

"Yes," was his immediate reply. The more he discovered of her, the more he wanted to know. "Tons." Aoi sighed and Renji caught himself wondering if he had outlasted his stay.

"You know what..." she started, a smile curling the ends of her lips once more. "Come back on the fifteenth of next month."

"Next month...?" Her abrupt request stunned him. "May 15th?"

"Yes," she smiled. "I might answer more of your questions then."

Renji wanted the answers _now_, but he relented, agreeing. "Okay then. I'll be back."

For some reason, he thought he saw the smile on Hatano Aoi's face turn softer. "Dress well."

By the time he left the parlour that day, the date was already etched in his mind.

* * *

Note: Fuyuki's name is made up of the characters 冬(fuyu) and 樹(ki) but Aoi calls him by 'Yuki', which may easily be mistaken for 雪(Yuki), more commonly a girl's name. Hence the gender crisis ahah.

**Relatively speedy update? Excited to write the next chapter. :) **

**Feedback and reviews are greatly appreciated!** (please)


	6. Sixth

**Before you read:**  
**Some minor edits have been made to the previous chapter. They aren't that crucial though so you don't have to backtrack if you don't wish to.**

**That said, enjoy this one!**

* * *

"_Hinamori."_

_Following the sudden call from her squad mate, the diminutive female shinigami stopped in her tracks and turned back to face him. "Hm?"_

_The redhead appeared uncharacteristically nervous, scratching at his cheek with a finger. "Could you help me...note down a date?" _

_At the female's puzzled gaze, he continued to clarify. "Like, remind me when it draws near!"_

"_Um, okay!" Hinamori Momo was still slightly confused but agreed congenially. "When?"_

"_May 15__th__," Abarai Renji replied immediately, almost anxiously. "I should be able to remember it myself but, well, just in case I don't...You know how I am."_

"_Thanks," he added, as an afterthought. _

_Hinamori peered up curiously at him. "What's the important occasion, Abarai-kun?"_

"_I, uh." He hadn't prepared himself for responding to questions. "Need to return to, Rukongai...my district." He winced inwardly when the girl's brown eyes grew wide, dreading more questions that were sure to follow._

"_Return? Why?"_

"_I..." he turned away from her, crossing his arms defensively, as his mind scrambled for a cover. "Need to pay a...home visit?"_

_The smaller shinigami seemed to consider this for a while. "But Abarai-kun...didn't you say you came from the streets?" Renji mentally slapped himself. _

"_Didn't you know, Hinamori-kun?" Kira Izuru, who suddenly appeared in the corridor next to them, interjected, laughing. "He goes back to his district each time to get a new tattoo."_

"_Though," a hint of slyness crept into the blonde's voice. "This date was set beforehand, so I doubt it's to get a tattoo this time." Renji did _not_ appreciate the smirk on his friend's face. "I heard your tattoo artist was female, Abarai-kun?"_

"_Yeah, so what? It _is _just for a tattoo, alright?" he growled. "And what's wrong with fixing the date in advance?"_

_His two companions smiled back at him, choosing not to comment on the fact that technically, he only had reason to get a tattoo whenever he achieved something of significance. _

"_Is it a special tattoo?" Hinamori inquired, her brown orbs exceptionally bright. _

_Renji recoiled, feeling heat rushing to his face. "Wh-What? No!" When he saw both of them continuing to grin at him, obviously unconvinced, he sighed in annoyance. _

"_You guys don't know what you're talking about," he grumbled as he pushed past them. Kira and Hinamori watched the redhead stalk down the corridor. _

_Silently, they exchanged a knowing smile._

* * *

**Entry #6 – Of Hollyhocks  
**_Name: Abarai Renji  
__Occupation: Gotei Thirteen Fifth Squad member_

* * *

"Ah," the tattoo artist greeted pleasantly. "You're here."

The redhead shinigami jogged up to the front of the tattoo parlour. Hatano Aoi had been seated on the doorstep, and now stood up to receive him. Her brother, Hatano Fuyuki was leaned against the wall next to her, watching him carefully.

Not that he paid any attention to _him_. His eye was caught by the turquoise-eyed female, who was, for the first time, not in her usual getup of plain robes. To say that she _dressed up_ would be an exaggeration – her attire was not extravagant, consisting only of a faded yūkata and her charcoal tresses tied up in an elegant knot. And yet, the difference was significant enough. She looked _younger_, more alive.

In contrast, Renji felt severely underdressed.

'_Dress well'_, she had instructed. But those simple words had been unexpectedly hard to follow. To start off, the former street urchin had literally no decent piece of clothing – save his Academy uniform and _shihakushō _but he doubted he should turn up in either of _those._ After deliberating for a while, he had decided to borrow a set of robes from Kira, but there was only so much of his burly frame that could fit into the clothes made for the blonde's skinnier built. He felt awkward and uncomfortable in them, to say the very least. Well, not like he had a choice.

"Are we going?" The brother, grouchy as ever, spoke. "Or is Abarai gonna stare at my sister all day?" The redhead gave a start, scarlet flushing his cheeks. "I-I wasn't!"

"Save your breath, shinigami," was the snarl in reply. Renji chose to shut up immediately, though he still felt a strong urge to snap something back.

"Calm down, Yuki," Aoi forced an uneasy laugh. "Let's get going, shall we?" To Renji's further confusion, the two of them started heading away from the parlour. It took him a moment to realise that he should probably follow after them.

"Uh," he began unsurely, after catching up. He made sure he was on the other side of Aoi, such that she separated him from Fuyuki. "Where exactly are we going, Hatano?" The ebony-haired female shot a sideways grin at him.

"_Aoi Matsuri_," she replied. "The Hollyhocks Festival."

"Hollyhocks Festival..." Renji repeated. "_Aoi_..?"

"Mm! When my parents were still around, they used to bring us there every year."

"Your parents..." he blinked, trailing off.

"You can't catch it in Inuzuri, but they'll be passing by the edge of the seventy-sixth district, a manageable distance from here."

"They?" Needless to say, Renji was completely clueless as to what this festival entailed. Of what _any _festival entailed, for that matter. Growing up in one of the most depraved districts had meant that he had never been exposed to such thrills.

The tattoo artist beside him smiled. "You'll see when we get there."

* * *

_They_, turned out to be a procession with the strength of around a hundred. The contingent of people entered their visage after an hour's walk. Already, a crowd was flanking the two sides of the road.

Curious, Renji tried to take a closer look. The head of the procession was a man dressed in grey garbs. He was on horseback, as with many other men. Following immediately behind him were people dressed elaborately in aristocratic clothes and upon even closer inspection, the shinigami realised that their costumes were decorated with hollyhock leaves.

"That's the Imperial Messenger at the front," Renji was grateful for Aoi's whispered explanations. "Long ago, there was a period of natural disasters and epidemics that destroyed harvests and ruined grain crops. Diviners placed the cause on the divine punishment of the Gods and so, the Emperor sent his messenger with a retinue to the shrine to appease the deities, in prayer of a bountiful harvest. Hence began an annual ritual that became the Hollyhocks Festival as known today."

The redhead shinigami tried to digest all he was hearing as the procession passed by. Besides people on horseback, there were also marching musicians, dancers, and floats carrying large bouquets of flowers, mainly hollyhocks. Something else caught his eye then – an approaching concentration of white-painted women dressed in formal kimonos.

"Those are the attendants of the _Saiō_, the other important figure of the festival. Traditionally, the _Saiō _is chosen from the sisters and daughters of the Emperor to dedicate herself to the shrines and maintain ritual purity. This one is just a normal civilian, though."

Renji could see, now, the woman in the centre of the group. Unlike the others, she donned a _jūnihitoe_, a twelve-layered kimono. Her red, ruby lips and ebony hair contrasted her ivory skin. She was a doll of exquisite beauty, he noted, but more matter-of-factly than anything.

He looked to Aoi. Her electric blue eyes were wide, taking the sight in eagerly. How many times have she watched the same procession, and yet could still view it with awe?

"Hey, um," he excused himself. "I need to use the washroom for a bit." He made to leave but without warning, the tattoo artist grabbed his arm and dragged him back to his spot.

"You'll miss the exciting part!"

She didn't even look at him – her attention was obviously still on the parade– but that didn't stop Renji from staring at her hands on his arm.

Although he quickly forgot about it once he looked up and saw what came up next in the procession.

More horses, but now mounted by more professional-looking riders, galloped by. They quickly attracted the gaze of everyone present and the crowd let out a collective sound of appreciation when the riders whipped out arrows from the quivers on their backs and commenced an archery showcase. Wooden arrows flew in fluid arcs above people's heads and hit bull's-eye on the targets set up all around prior to the procession.

"_Yabusame_," the tattoo artist announced. Mounted archery.

"Amazing," Renji breathed out in awe. It was the first time he had seen someone on horseback, or doing archery _on _it, at that.

"Right, right?" Aoi laughed next to him. Like the horses and their riders, she seemed so _free_, so _unrestricted._ So unlike her usual self behind the counter of the tattoo parlour. Even the brat of a brother had his eyes glued to the equestrian performance, his gaze intent.

Pretty soon, the procession reached its end and the crowd slowly dispersed. The tattoo artist let out a contented sigh. "This is just a mock procession, something that the people came up with to replicate the actual one held in the better districts." Her electric eyes were bright but, at the same time, wistful. "I heard that the procession there is made up of six hundred people, including ox-drawn carts, and ends at a shrine, where the _Saiō _undergoes several purification ceremonies."

Softly, "I've always wanted to see that."

Renji wasn't sure how to respond. But he didn't have to, when the female's voice perked up again as she said. "Well, at least the people here actually set up stalls on this occasion!" He had noticed, with curiosity, the festival stalls that majority of the crowd had been gravitating towards. "Let's go!"

Her brother, beside her, groaned. "I don't see how you can say that with enthusiasm every time, nē-chan."

They took a slow stroll down the streets packed with people. Worried that the crowd would separate them, Renji had to look to the other two ever so often just to check that they were still _there_. They didn't purchase much, mainly looking around and focusing on weaving through the throng.

Halfway through, they lost Fuyuki. One moment he was behind them, the other moment there was no sign of him to be seen. Aoi explained that he felt uncomfortable in crowds and that it was normal for him to wander off on his own. They continued their saunter down the street, as if nothing had happened.

Renji took the chance to take in the sights and smells around him. It wouldn't be wrong to say that it was his very first time at a festival and it was actually rather exciting, if he was to be honest.

After the crowd had thinned relatively, he asked, "So, why did you bring me out this time?" He half-expected her to answer that it was on a whim, as well. Though he wished there was more to it than that.

The girl chuckled. "You _did_ ask me about my story."

"Huh? I...don't see how this...?" his question trailed off halfway, inked burrows furrowed in confusion. The tattoo artist didn't respond, continuing forward.

Then suddenly, she spun around such that she now faced the redhead and was walking backwards. She started. "Many people think 'Aoi' refers to the character 'blue'. And, well, I guess, with my eye color, they would naturally assume so. But," the ends of her lips curled up. "My parents actually named me after something else."

Renji suddenly understood what she was driving at. "They named you after the flower. Hollyhock. Aoi." The girl nodded, beaming, and then turned back so that she was once again facing forward.

Other things started falling in place then. "Then, your tattoo..." Hatano Aoi responded by lifting her arm up to inspect the inked flower on her wrist. "Hey, you noticed!" Renji could see now that the flower was actually that of a hollyhock, its petals soft and pleasing.

"My parents used to grow them in the backyard," she continued wistfully. She was looking straight-ahead now, and Renji couldn't catch the expression on her face. "They were of the loveliest colours and you used to be able to smell their fragrance even from within the house. I..I've been trying to grow them myself after they left-"

_The weed patch in the backyard,_ Renji realised with a jolt of guilt.

"-But unfortunately, I don't quite have their green fingers." The tattoo artist chuckled, and then looked back partially at the shinigami, starting Renji with the pained grin on her lips.

"It's ironic, isn't it? Me not being compatible with the very things I was named after."

The shinigami took his time to stretch his arms, before interlacing his hands behind his neck. "Duh it is," he drawled out loudly, making sure to play out the sarcasm in his tone. "I mean, how incompetent can you get?"

Hatano Aoi jabbed him in the ribs, laughing. "Bastard." Goddamn it, her elbow was _sharp_. But for some reason, Renji couldn't help grinning at her provocation.

"Your parents really enjoyed playing with words," he observed aloud. A smile slowly blossomed across the girl's face.

"They were _damn_ _good _at it," she confessed, her turquoise eyes twinkling softly with pride.

Renji smiled. He could tell this yearly festival held some special importance to the tattoo artist and, for some reason, he felt at peace as well.

They reached the end of the street lined with booths and for a moment, wasn't sure where to go next. Then, Aoi pointed out a grassy slope nearby. "Shall we?"

"Sure," was the shinigami's quick reply. He followed her up the incline and sat down on the grass beside her. From up here, they had a good view of the festival stalls sprawled out beneath them, suddenly so small.

"What about Fuyuki?" he asked, recalling the tattoo artist's brother. Aoi, however, seemed unbothered by his absence. She leaned backwards, propping her hands behind her.

"He can take care of himself." She said with a smile. Renji thought he could detect a hint of sibling affection in her voice. He was familiar with it, of course, having felt that towards Rukia for many years.

Still. He recalled the Hatano male's open hostility towards him, the fire in his eyes, his scathing remarks.

"He...doesn't really like me, does he?"

Aoi's attention snapped to him, her eyes alert. "Yuki's like that. Not just to you."

Renji let out a sigh. Why was he caring so much about getting along with the brother anyway? It shouldn't have to matter to him. But...

As he shot another glance at the tattoo artist, he suddenly remembered what she had once mentioned.

"What you said, about him not liking shinigamis..." he questioned, cautiously. "What does _that_ mean?"

From his peripheral vision, he watched, with alarm, as Aoi slowly curled up into herself, hugging her legs to her chest. He wasn't so sure but her turquoise eyes appeared downcast. When she next spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper.

"He...was betrayed by a shinigami once."

Renji waited, for more elaboration, but the female remained silent, eyes staring into the distance. After a while, she turned to meet his gaze and smiled, painfully. "Sorry, but I would rather not talk about this, Renji."

"...Okay then." It was _not_ okay.

The next few moments were spent in silence, with Renji feeling bothered by the fact that she couldn't confide in him. Beyond them, the setting sun casted the sky in scarlet hues.

The sun had just disappeared below the horizon when Hatano Fuyuki appeared at the bottom of the slope, looking up at them. Aoi got up. "Let's go."

Renji followed suit and stood up. "Yeah." But before she could leave, the redhead, anxious that he might not have the chance to again, blurted out.

"Thanks for today." He took another breath, before finally voicing it out loud. "_Aoi_."

The female looked back at him, slight surprise in her blue eyes. The shinigami quickly defended, "Since you shared its meaning, I have the right to call it now!" Hatano Aoi continued to stare wordlessly at him.

And then, she smiled. "You're most welcome."

_She accepted it._ The relief and inexplicable triumph for calling her by name for the first time both exhilarated and surprised Renji. _Aoi. Not 'blue', but 'hollyhocks'._

He found that he liked the name very much.

As he and Aoi made their way down the hill and the Hollyhocks Festival slowly draw to a close, Renji mused over the meaning of names, over parents who had an affinity for word play, and over the artist whom he's only beginning to know.

* * *

**The Aoi Matsuri is actually a legitimate thing. Though I might not have gotten the details down completely. **

**Sorry that this chapter was more OC-centric. Will be back to Renji's tattoos in the next chapter.**

**Also, a shoutout to anonymous for the review(s)! Thank you for bothering to leave them they have inspired me ;_; Although criticism would be nice too, so I would know how to improve this story (: I am glad that people have enjoyed this though, so thank you too to others who have followed and favourited this. **

**As always,  
Feedback and reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	7. Seventh

**Entry #7 – Of Hollyhocks Again  
**_Name: Abarai Renji  
__Occupation: Gotei Thirteen Fifth Squad member_

* * *

"_Oi_, you two! Wait up_!_"

"You're slow, Abarai-kun."

Inside the tattoo parlour, the figure at the counter perked up. The shinigami had returned; she recognised his voice instantly. But there were new voices she couldn't identify.

"That's only because I'm carrying this thing! And why am I the only one doing the manual labour!"

"You _volunteered_, didn't you?"

"...That, that's- _Hold up!_ Don't go ahead on your own, idiots!"

The shop door opened in a decisive, sliding motion, sounding the bamboo chimes. The tattoo artist from behind the counter stared at two foreign faces peering from the other side of the door, who stared back.

"U-Um," the female of the two began. "Konnichiwa. I'm Hinamori Momo-" Turquoise eyes blinked with recognition.

"-and this is Kira Izuru."

Hatano Aoi felt her face easing into her practiced smile. "Hatano Aoi. Welcome."

"Sorry, we're not really here for tattoos," the blonde male offered a sheepish smile in return as they entered the shop premise. "Actually, we came here with Abarai-"

At that moment, the door slid open further and Abarai Renji entered. "Yo, Aoi!" In his arms, he carried a large potted plant that came up to his chin. There was a period of stunned silence as the tattoo artist stared at him, even more blankly than at his two friends before.

Then, she had left her a seat and was standing in front of him, hands on the sides of the pots to help stabilise it. Her blue eyes were wide and startled. "Is, Is this...?"

"Ah," Renji affirmed, smirking at her reaction. "Hollyhocks. To make up for the ones you've lost." He watched Aoi's eyes grow impossibly wider, as her form tensed.

"Well," his male squadmate voiced out from behind him, with a hint of amusement. "We told him guys normally give girls a single stalk, or a bouquet, but Abarai-kun decided to do extravagant."

A vein twitched in his temple as Renji spun his head to bark at Kira. "I told y'all it wasn't like that!" Embarrassed, he turned back to shoot a glance at the tattoo artist, but his furtive gaze morphed into a surprised one when he found Aoi still staring intently at the flowers.

"Mine...?" she whispered, incredulous. Renji suddenly became aware of how their hand was grazing past each other. By the hair on their skins.

"Yeah," he confirmed, gently. "Kira here has a hand at gardening...stuff, so. That's why he's here too. And Hinamori...just kinda tagged along." He held out the pot to her and Aoi, numbly, accepted it. Hinamori Momo appeared beside her, smiling warmly.

"Let's go put it up, Hatano-san!"

"Hu-...Ah."

Her head issued small nods as she turned towards the backdoor. She still had not looked up from the plant.

Renji looked on as his former classmates followed her into the other room, a hand on his hip. He contemplated at the curtains swishing behind them for a while, before following himself.

Aoi was in the backyard, bending over the spot where she once grew the same plant. (The weed patch he had ruthlessly massacred with his haywire kidō had been cleared, Renji noticed.) Kira had knelt on the ground, examining the soil and doing his gardener thing, while Hinamori, curious, bent to watch as well.

Renji had zero experience in this aspect, so hung back at the door to watch them. Giving a final pat to the ground, the blonde male declared, "This soil won't do, Hatano-san. It's too dry and barren."

"R-Really!" the female exclaimed.

"Mm. Maybe there're better spots around here..."Kira straightened up and walked to another corner, with the two females tagging along. Renji caught Aoi murmuring, "I, I'll get some fertiliser next time!" then Hinamori giggling, "Or you could just get Abarai-kun to bring it for you again." His brows furrowed slightly at that.

As they bent over the other corner, a lanky boy shoved past Renji from behind and entered the backyard.

"What are you doing, nē-chan?"

"Yuki!" the female shot up, turning around to greet her brother with an excited smile. "Look at this! They brought me fresh hollyhocks! For our backyard!" Renji was surprised at the brightness of her voice, at the relaxedness of her shoulders. He had never seen her so unguarded before, so-

Genuine.

Hatano Fuyuki didn't respond and silence ensued among them. Hinamori took the first step of breaking the ice. "I'm Hinamori Momo. You're Hatano-san's brother?" Her comment was ignored as Renji watched the younger boy clench his fist.

"Are they all..." he asked, lowly. "_Shinigamis_?"

Aoi's face fell a bit. When she didn't deny, the charcoal-haired boy made a sound of annoyance and then turned sharply to leave, brushing past Renji at the door again. As he passed, Renji felt him shooting a fierce, narrow glare at him with the eyes that resembled his sister's. The redhead shinigami resisted the urge to return the glare.

Aoi gazed after her brother for a while, then resumed her expression.

"Sorry about him," she gave a small laugh, apologetic. "That's my brother, Fuyuki. He doesn't do well with strangers, as you can see...Could we continue?"

They went back to examining the soil and Renji watched as Kira declared the ground 'healthy', and a relieved smile breaking out over Aoi's face. For some reason, her reception to the present had underwhelmed him. He had somewhat imagined her to receive them with all smiles and 'thank you's, but she had silently accepted it, with no word of appreciation. And now her attention was solely on his squadmate, having completely forgotten about him.

As Kira issued further instructions to her, Hinamori walked over to Renji and stood with him by the door.

"Isn't it beautiful?" she chirped.

"Huh?" Renji gave a start, before squinting at the plant. The string of flowers bore soft, wrinkled petals and provided a vibrant contrast to the dull and bare backyard. Kira had chosen the white colour well. "I guess."

Hinamori shot him a weird look then gave a sigh, drawing confusion from him. "I wasn't referring to the flowers, Abarai-kun."

"Isn't it beautiful," she repeated, her voice soft. "The face of a girl in bliss."

The question caught him by surprise. He switched his gaze to his tattoo artist, now focusing intently on Kira as he explained, giving a nod here and there. There was a slight curl to her lips, an indication of her unrestrained emotions, and her eyes were wide with the earnestness of learning.

He gave a small grunt. "I guess."

Just then, Aoi straightened up, seeming to remember something. "Sorry, Kira-san, could you wait for a moment please," she said before turning and striding purposefully back towards the house. She stopped in front of Renji, and their eyes made contact.

"Thank you." A smile. A genuine one.

"Hahh," he could only make out, as he lifted a finger to his cheek, scratching nervously out of habit.

"You were the one who planned this, right?" Up close, he could see that her cheeks were slightly flushed, and realised that it wasn't out of shyness, but excitement. He felt heat slowly flooding into his cheeks as well. "Thank you...so much."

"It was nothin'," he replied, awkwardly looking away. Aoi continued beaming up at him.

And then, "Let's go get your tattoo done."

Renji's gaze snapped back to her. "Huh? Don't you want to plant the flowers first?"

"They can wait," she stated as she stepped into the room, already clipping up her ebony tresses. "But my customers can't. And," After her hair was up, she lifted her hands. "I don't think you'd want me to touch you with these after I handle the soil." Hinamori let out a small giggle.

"Let's go, hurry," she commanded, walking to the sink to start washing up. She turned back to Renji and then added, with a soft smile,

"Then we can go plant the hollyhocks together."

Suddenly, Hinamori's words echoed in his mind, again.

_Isn't it beautiful? The face of a girl in bliss._

He returned Aoi her smile. "Yeah."

* * *

"That," Hinamori Momo exclaimed on their walk back from the tattoo parlour. "Was really fun, Abarai-kun! Thanks for bringing us!"

"I was surprised she was so interested about gardening the hollyhocks," Kira admitted. "That's kind of rare in this sort of environment, right?" She had her reasons, Renji thought, recalling what the tattoo artist had shared with him at the festival.

"She's cute, too! And younger than I expected. Good eye, Abarai-kun." As Renji opened his mouth to snap a retort, her tone turned serious. "Her brother, though."

"Mm."

"Did you sense it too, Kira-kun?"

"Sense what?" Renji immediately asked.

"He possessed _reiatsu_," Hinamori frowned, slightly. "It became obvious when he asked if we were shinigamis."

Renji fell into silence. An old memory resurfaced, of his second visit and the sudden wave of reiatsu he and Rukia sensed in the parlour. He had sort of known, since then, that there was someone else there, besides Aoi, who possessed reiatsu. So it made sense that Fuyuki would be the one.

"Well, it isn't that strong, though," Kira commented. "So there should be no problems."

"I would ask if he planned on becoming a shinigami," Hinamori smiled, with a hint of bitterness. "But he looked like he'd abhor that idea."

_He was betrayed by a shinigami once._ Aoi's words rang in Renji's head. Yep, he didn't think Hatano Fuyuki would be accepting that idea anytime soon. He gave a sigh.

"You guys are poking your nose too much into other people's business."

"Eh...What's wrong with being curious about our friend's love interest?" One of the redhead's eyebrow gave a twitch, as he let out a snarl.

"_Like I said-!"_

* * *

**Sorry - for the late update (it's a bad time and it's a bad few months and I really shouldn't be doing this right now...). Sorry - that I promised some character development on Renji's part but didn't really do so here. Thank you, though - for the new favourites and follows!**

**Feedback and reviews are greatly appreciated.**

ps. Summer Wars is a really good movie.


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